Program Has Wealth of Info for Employers

Byline: ON THE JOB Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries

As an Oregon employer, it may seem overwhelming to try to wade through the many employment laws and regulations that apply to your business. Employees' wages must be paid correctly, questions about accommodation issues and protected leaves must be answered, and sometimes questions or situations come out of left field.

All Oregon employers, private and public, have a resource available to help with these issues. The Technical Assistance for Employers Program of the Bureau of Labor and Industries exists to help employers with these situations by providing a variety of free and fee-based services.

Training throughout Oregon is available on a variety of topics including Wage and Hour Laws, Leave Laws in Oregon, Avoiding Workplace Harassment, and Effective Supervisory Practices. An employer also may contract directly with Technical Assistance for on-site training, which can be a cost-effective way to provide training to all employees.

For example, defending a claim of unlawful harassment could cost upward of $10,000. An employer could train all its employees to understand and recognize workplace harassment for a fraction of that amount.

Technical Assistance writes and sells handbooks on a range of employers' issues. Handbooks on Civil Rights Laws; Policy Writing Guidelines; and Documentation, Discipline and Discharge are available. A 2009 edition of Wage and Hour Laws will be available in mid-February, and an updated version of Family Leave Laws is planned for release in March.

Employers purchasing these handbooks have a ready resource at their fingertips.

Because the handbooks are reviewed by the BOLI divisions responsible for writing the rules and enforcing compliance, employers may be sure the information is accurate and reflects the most common questions and situations regarding wage and hour and civil rights laws in Oregon.

In addition to the handbooks, Technical Assistance sells an "8-in-1" poster incorporating all of the commonly required postings in Oregon in English and Spanish. Laminated posters specific to agricultural employers are also available. Poster companies routinely sell their versions of the required postings for more than $75. At $7.50 plus shipping, BOLI's poster is a bargain. However, an even better bargain may be found on the BOLI Web site where the individual posters can be downloaded at no charge.

Employers with questions about employment law may find answers on the BOLI Web site. …

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